An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Faust
Faust, feminine, ‘fist,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Middle Low German vûst. Old High German fûst, feminine; corresponds to Anglo-Saxon fŷst, English fist, Dutch vuist. This term, common to West Teutonic, is unknown to Old Icelandic; in Gothic it may have been *fûsti- or *fûhsti-, feminine. The possible loss of a h before st is supported by the connection with Greek πύξ, ‘with the fist,’ πύγμαχος, ‘boxer,’ πυγμή, ‘fist, boxing,’ Latin pugnus, ‘fist,’ pŭgil, ‘boxer,’ perhaps also pugio, ‘dagger’ (literally ‘fist weapon’), and further pugna, pugnare, &c. The comparison of Faust with Old Slovenian pęstĭ, feminine, ‘fist,’ is less trustworthy; this is possible only if the assumed Gothic *fûhsti is further derived from fuñhsti-, pre-Teutonic pnkstí-; in that case, however, the Greek and Latin terms cited would have no connection with the word.